Former SunTrust Executive leads Galtere Institute at UTC

Sue Culpepper, former Chattanooga City President and Managing Director of the Wealth Management Group for SunTrust in Chattanooga, joins The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Business as the new Director of the Galtere Institute: Finance for the Future Initiative.

Culpepper is a career investment professional with Series 7, 66, and 24 FINRA licenses and spent 23 of her 30 years in banking with SunTrust. She joined UTC to lead the Galtere Institute, with the specific mission to support and encourage more women to pursue the “art and science of trading and investing.”

“As I looked at this exciting role at UTC, I considered the many opportunities I have had to provide guidance to young professionals. To me, one of the responsibilities of successful professionals should be to give back to motivated, promising individuals and I have always found great satisfaction in being able to assist in someone’s career achievement,” said Culpepper. “Reflecting on the great people who provided mentoring guidance to me, I am committed to ‘giving back’ to the students, to enable them to navigate the complexities of the financial world.”

At its core, the Galtere Institute at UTC– founded by NYC hedge fund CEO Renée Haugerud and husband John Murphy in 2009 — is focused on providing students, particularly young women, opportunities and exposure to the world of global-macro finance.

At the UTC College of Business, women comprise more than half of 1,900 undergraduates, yet less than 30% major in finance. Statistically, women control over 50% of the wealth in the United States and own 43% of the stocks, but just19% of the executives on Wall Street are women. And, the number of women in financial services has declined over the last 10 years while the number of men has grown.

With Culpepper’s long, advanced career in the industry and connections to high-level internships and mentors, students at UTC will have the support and resources to follow lucrative, fulfilling careers in the field of finance.

“Sue is a long-time supporter of the College,” states Dr. Robert Dooley, Dean, “and we are thrilled that she is now joining us in a full-time capacity. She brings the experience, skill-set, and passion needed to lead the Finance for the Future Initiative. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to hire someone of her caliber.”

A dedicated civic leader and active UTC alumnus, Culpepper is a Rotarian, a member of Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute, and serves on the boards of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association, Chattanooga Ballet, Chattanooga Area Urban League, American Cancer Society and Friends of Memorial Hospital and is also an engaged member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Business. She was one of the founding board members, and past chairman of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Chattanooga.

To learn more about the Galtere Institute: Finance for the Future Initiative, visit www.utc.edu/ffi